Growing a pollinator garden with flowering plants is one simple way Illinois residents can make a meaningful environmental impact at home.

With a resolution passed to preserve the deep body of upstream water resulting from the Fox River dam in St. Charles, the question turns to funding. City Council said it's open to modifying the dam, but did not say how it would cover the project's significant costs.

In celebration of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie's 30 years of restoration, the U.S. Forest Service will host a 30th Anniversary “open house” across the prairie on Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. with informational booths along the trail on Saturday, June 6.

Yorkville is debating how many 200-year-old oak trees to cut down along Blackberry Oaks Golf Course as part of its Kennedy Road expansion project to accommodate the growing Grande Reserve subdivision.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County has announced its program schedule for the week of June 1.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Plum Creek Nature Center will host a “Winged Ambassadors” art display from June 3 through Sept. 6.

The next Crochet for Wildlife program will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 11, outdoors at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm at Hidden Oaks Preserve in Bolingbrook.

The goal is to make it easier for commercial fishing companies to remove the fish and prevent them from reaching Lake Michigan.

Large flakes of lead paint found near the Fox River in St. Charles came from a Union Pacific overpass, according to city officials, who said the IEPA has gotten involved.

Discuss nature-inspired novels while walking the grounds of Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

While federal funding has run dry for the study to remove the downtown dam in St. Charles, the city is considering a resolution to clarify its position of keeping the waterway impoundment. The resolution is being discussed during a May 18 city meeting.

The three-week closure of the nature preserve in Homer Glen is necessary for the entrance road to be replaced.

The Kids n Nature program has been offered during spring and fall semesters as well as a summer session by University of Illinois Extension volunteers.

For the first time in more than 200 years, a baby bison has been born in a Kane County forest preserve. For the American Indian Center, the birth represents a larger reconnection with the land and their shared history. Visitors to the park can see the "red dog" fuzzy calf.

Oak Park resident Scott Mortenson was named the Will County Forest Preserve District's Volunteer of the Year for 2025 this spring, due to his ongoing dedication as a preserve steward.

People may think they’re helping by taking possession of young animals that appear to be orphaned or abandoned, but most often, human intervention does more to hurt animals than to help, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said.

“It was just a magical moment, with that light and the bluebells. Something extra special," Michelle Wendling said of her award-winning photo taken at O’Hara Woods Preserve in Romeoville.

Search for spring wildflowers and learn the stories, uses and lore behind these fleeting blooms on a guided hike. Register by May 13.

View nesting herons, egrets, cormorants and bald eagles during this limited-access season.

A long-awaited park on Manteno's east side recently opened, but it is a much different area.

The City of Joliet hosted its annual Arbor Day event at Lynne Thigpen Elementary School on Friday, April 24.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County begins heron viewing hours at the Lake Renwick Heron Rookery every 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through Aug. 9.

The two statewide volunteer programs, run through the University of Illinois Extension, train residents to grow food, support pollinators, and protect natural resources.

Bring your extra houseplants, seeds, and cuttings, and swap with neighbors who actually want them.

Backpack Biologists meets 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, May 1-31, at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook:

The photo was captured at Whalon Lake in Naperville. Laurie Lasseter captured a dramatic moment between a bald eagle and a herring gull.

Free, all-ages activities will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 at the Will County forest preserve.

Will County’s best bike trails are for casual riders or serious cyclists.

Planning for the restoration of the exterior logs at Pilcher Park Nature Center in Joliet began in 2023.

The three Will County forest preserve projects and engineering for the Lockport Trail are being funded by the 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, was able to secure $250,000 in federal funding for the Bentley Road Pathway Connection, which is part of the DuPage River Trail

Search for spring wildflowers on Tuesday, April 21 at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook. Check out Birding for Beginners on Saturday, April 25, at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County purchased almost 106 acres north of Bruce Road and east of Cedar Road around Messenger Woods Nature Preserve in Homer Glen.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff will continue to monitor the lake and will reopen it once it reaches safe navigation levels, the department said in a Monday.

Recycle old or unused bicycles through Forest Preserve District of Will County to benefit Working Bikes, which refurbishes and distributes bikes worldwide.

Fire brings more light into forests, which is crucial for young oak tree growth, but many land managers are concerned about how non-native plants affect fire intensity and young tree survival rates.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County has announced its program schedule for the first week of April.

Work is nearing completion on the Mary M. Subat Nature Center in the Subat Forest Preserve in Plano and the Hoover-Fox River Bluffs trail connection.

This event is The Conservation Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year and features dinner, a silent auction and live entertainment.

Explore the stone foundations of Joliet’s once-thriving industrial plant during a one-mile guided tour at the Joliet Iron Works.

The Maple Syrup Magic event is returning to the Will County Forest Preserve District on March with new entertainment and activities for attending families.

Join a naturalist to search in Will County forest preserves for early spring wildflowers like anemone, Dutchman’s breeches, trillium and hepatica, while learning about these fleeting blooms.

We get a real treat here during winter with the birds that use the Midwest for their wintering grounds.

Spring came early to Dixon with the success of Blooming Fusion 2026 at The Next Picture Show Community Fine Arts Center.

The donation will go towards Forest Preserve District of Will County programs, conservation efforts and exhibits.

The free, all-ages event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 at Four Rivers Environmental Education in Channahon.

The U.S. Forest Service did not say when the controlled burns would start. County emergency management officials will be notified when burning begins.

The sun is rising a bit earlier each morning, and setting a bit later each evening. Frosty mornings are still common, but there are fewer of them in March, and the cold snaps aren’t quite as cold nor do they last as long.

Hikers may come upon winter fish kills this time of year in ponds or small corners of lakes in the McHenry County Conservation District.

Once an improbable sighting, wild swans have returned to the Fox River Valley and across Kane County. Local environmental efforts over the decades have helped the resurgence.